Re: Rush/Last Minute Proposal Policies? Dolce, Peter J 01 Feb 2005 18:43 EST

Agreed--the best we can hope for is to mitigate.  These things have been
helpful to our office:

Set "deadlines"--in quotes because no sponsored programs office that I
know of can enforce a deadline rigorously--that most PIs can recognize
as reasonable.  We ask for applications a day and a half before they
must be mailed.

About a month before major sponsor deadlines, like the NIH deadlines,
tell investigators your internal deadline by e-mail.

Time/personal relationships help.  This is an area where policies aren't
much use unless your school is actually willing to refuse to submit an
application.  But it does help to get to know the investigator and her
work, and perform services if you can, like extra help with a budget.
If you show you can improve the application in some way or make its
preparation easier for the PI you win friends and sympathy.

Analyze the situation carefully--isn't it 20% of the PIs submitting 80%
of the late applications?  That's not bad.  For those 20% there is, as
Charlie said, no hope.  We do a cursory check and let the application
go.  If it gets funded, no harm done; if it doesn't--well, let the
investigator learn in the dear school of experience.

Peter J. Dolce, Ph.D., Director
Office of Research Support Services
Meharry Medical College
1005 D. B. Todd Boulevard
Nashville, TN  37208

Phone 615 327 6703
Fax 615 327 6716

-----Original Message-----
From: Research Administration List [mailto:xxxxxx@HRINET.ORG] On
Behalf Of Carlson, Claire
Sent: Tuesday, February 01, 2005 4:43 PM
To: xxxxxx@HRINET.ORG
Subject: Re: [RESADM-L] Rush/Last Minute Proposal Policies?

I used to work at a university that copied and mailed out proposals at
no cost to the PIs.  Because of the ever increasing number of
last-minute proposals, we changed the policy so that we only copied and
mailed if we received the proposal five working days before the
deadline.  If they came in past that point, the PI had to copy and mail
at their own expense.  The result was that we rarely ever copied and
mailed proposals after the establishment of the deadline.  The bottom
line was that PIs did not find free copying and mailing sufficient
incentive to get things done early.  PIs just have too many competing
demands.  I don't think we can ever get rid of last-minute-itis.

Claire

Claire L. Carlson
Associate Vice President for Research
The University of Montana
Research and Sponsored Programs
University Hall 202
Missoula, Montana  59812-4104
Phone (406) 243-5796
Fax (406) 243-5739
NOTE NEW E-MAIL ADDRESS:  xxxxxx@umontana.edu

-----Original Message-----
From: Bushnell, Barbara [mailto:xxxxxx@COBA.USF.EDU]
Sent: Tuesday, February 01, 2005 3:23 PM
To: xxxxxx@HRINET.ORG
Subject: Re: [RESADM-L] Rush/Last Minute Proposal Policies?

Many years ago I attended one of the NCURA Fundamentals of Sponsored
Research programs.   One speaker, from one of the Washington state
universities, said his office had a firm policy of not sending anything
out overnight express.  Proposals had to be in Sponsored Research 10
days in advance of the deadline for review.  They sent out everything
regular mail.   PI's or their departments had to cover the costs of any
express mail required for any of the proposals that did not meet the 10
day deadline.  He said it was rare that they ever had a problem.    I
thought the policy was outstanding.

Barb

Barb Bushnell
Coordinator, Accounting
University of South Florida
College of Business Administration, BSN  3403
4202 East Fowler Avenue
Tampa, FL  33620
Phone:  (813) 974-3270
Fax:  (813) 974-3030

-----Original Message-----
From: Research Administration List [mailto:xxxxxx@HRINET.ORG]On Behalf
Of Susan Meslang
Sent: Tuesday, February 01, 2005 4:57 PM
To: xxxxxx@HRINET.ORG
Subject: Re: [RESADM-L] Rush/Last Minute Proposal Policies?

We are having the same problems - no matter the funding agent.  In the
past everything was done to get a proposal submitted on time even when
the PI submitted it very late - resulting in sloppy work, late hours
etc.  We are eager to hear how others handle this.

Susan W. Meslang
Director of Grants and Sponsored  Programs Tidewater Community College
121 College Place
Norfolk, Virginia  23510-1907
Office 757 822-1773
Cell 757 409-2887
Fax 757 822-1007
xxxxxx@tcc.edu

>>> xxxxxx@UAF.EDU 1/25/2005 6:17:27 PM >>>
Hello all,

We're having a lot of trouble with rush and last minute proposals,
especially for the NSF deadline that passed yesterday. Does anyone have
a good policy for dealing with these types of proposals, or does anyone
use any sort of incentive/penalty system if the proposal is on-time vs.
late? We are considering a small pool of money with a drawing per year
for investigators that get their proposals in on time. Conversely, there
is serious talk from on high about charging the offending unit a fee if
the proposal is last minute. Obviously training will factor some into
this situation as we implement our upcoming faculty training, but for
now, we really feel the need to implement a policy that deals with
proposals that don't follow our 5 business day rule. Any ideas
appreciated.

Sincerely,
Andrew Gray

--
====================================================
Andrew M. Gray, CRA - Senior Pre-Award Administrator UAF Office of
Sponsored Programs 909N Koyukuk Drive / P.O. Box 757270 Suite 212F West
Ridge Research Building Fairbanks, AK 99775-7270

Phone:  (907) 474-1851
Fax:    (907) 474-5444
E-mail: xxxxxx@uaf.edu
Web:    http://www.uaf.edu/osp/

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 subscription information and a web-searchable archive, are available
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